


tastes like home(with a hint of heartache)

by winterlester



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Billy Hargrove Redemption, Character Development, Coming Out, Developing Friendships, Internalized Homophobia, Minor Injuries, Period-Typical Homophobia, Scoops Ahoy, mentions of abuse, season 3 never happened, starcourt mall - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2020-06-23 19:27:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19707922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterlester/pseuds/winterlester
Summary: Steve Harrington feels like the living definition of peaked in high school, and everyone around him seems to think it too. But maybe if Steve looks at things a little differently, the summer spent working at Scoops Ahoy could be his best one yet. Also, Billy visits a lot.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Basically my way of recovering from Season 3.

Steve didn’t know that his job at Scoops Ahoy would take such a hit on his ego. Sure, the uniform was downright stupid, and the hat covered up his greatest weapon, but he was Steve Harrington. He still had it.

But if the last week had proven anything to him, it was that he did not still have it. Even with his classic smirk, his attempts at seduction were met with laughter instead of swoons. What was it that he had told Dustin? Act like you don’t care. The problem was that he did care. A whole lot. He needed this. He couldn’t just be the guy who hung around his hometown, working part time jobs and reliving his high school glory days. That guy was a loser. And Steve Harrington was not a loser.

A towel collided with the back of his head. “Hey, dingus!” Robin called. “I’m on break, so quit moping and get out there. You might even score.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

“Alright, alright.” Steve swaggered out of the back room. Showtime. He stopped short. It was none other than Nancy Wheeler.

She gave an awkward smile. “Hey, Steve. I um-didn’t know you were working here.”

“Yeah. Just getting some work experience. Thought I’d take a gap year. Live a little before I go off to college, you know?”

She shuffled around. “That’s great, Steve.” The way she said it, though, it wasn’t dismissive. “I just thought I’d stop by after work.”

“Oh, that’s right, you’re working at the newspaper. That must be amazing, I mean, I remember you writing all those essays for AP English. Jonathan’s there, too, right? You guys must be the dream team.” Steve fought to keep his voice upbeat, to not stumble over the name Jonathan, and it almost worked.

“Yeah, it’s going really well actually.” Her lips pressed together the way they did when she was upset, and she pulled them into a smile. If she was going to lie for him he could do the same for her, so he just nodded. “So what would you recommend? ” she said suddenly.

“What?”

“What ice cream flavor?”

“Oh, right, that.” Get it together, Steve, he told himself. “U. S. S. Butterscotch is a classic.”

She laughed, and he felt a smile spreading across his face. He had used to make her laugh like that all the time, whenever he kissed her out of nowhere or suggested that they forget about school for a night and do something crazy. He had always been trying to think of new ways to shock her, to show her that there was more to life than studying and staying in. Turns out she had been the one to show him what life was about.

“Steve?”

“Sorry. Right. Butterscotch.” He shoved the ice cream into the cone, set it on the counter, almost knocking it over in his haste. He fumbled with the change. When he handed her the bills, their fingers didn’t even brush.

“This is twenty dollars too much.” Nancy handed back the money, stared at the floor.

“Right. Of course. This is just my first week, I’m still learning the ropes.”

“He has a long way to go!” Robin shouted from the back room. 

"Who’s that?” Nancy asked.

“No one. Just a coworker.”

“Bye, Steve.” Nancy took her ice cream and waved. Steve waved back, kept waving a moment after she had stopped, hoping she might turn around. God. He was pathetic.

Robin leaned out the door, holding that stupid board. “That was just...weird. I don’t even know which side to put that on.”

“We used to be together.”

“I know that, but even for an ex, that was super weird. Wow. What do you even see in her?”

Steve bristled at that at first, but he knew how Nancy seemed before he got to know her. “It’s hard to explain, but there’s no one else like her. She just cares so much about everything.”

Robin shrugged and chewed her gum. “If you say so. Well, when in doubt, you suck.” She drew a new tally on that side, and Steve rolled his eyes. He had a bad feeling that Robin would eventually run out of room.

* * *

Steve’s mouth dropped open when he walked through the door, sauntered right up to the counter. It couldn’t be. But it was. “Hargrove.”

“Look who it is. Steve Harrington.” He looked Steve up and down and smirked. “The king. Nice makeup, by the way. You oughta get a dress to match.”

Steve felt his face burning. This stupid job and its stupid dress code. He couldn’t let Billy Hargrove of all people get to him, though, so he just glared in response. “Watch it. I kicked your ass once, and I’ll do it again.”

“You and I remember that night very differently,” Billy leered, leaning further on the counter. The stale smell of sweat and cigarettes washed over Steve, and he wrinkled his nose.

“What the hell do you want?”

“I'll take Seaside Strawberry."

“What?”

“Isn’t it your job to serve ice cream?”

Steve just wanted to smash the ice cream right into Billy’s stupid face. “Cup or cone?” he said through gritted teeth.

“I’ll have a cone.” Steve slammed it into Billy’s hand. Billy set down a handful of quarters on the counter and gave Steve one last smug smile before waltzing out, where he was immediately swarmed by girls. He counted the quarters Billy left, half hoping he had underpaid so Steve had some extra reason for hating him, but no such luck. This was going to be a long summer.


	2. Chapter 2

“I mean, does he think I wear lipstick because I want to?” Steve complained. Robin snorted, then covered it up with her hand. Definitely not much sympathy from that one.“I mean, does he think I wear lipstick because I want to?” Steve complained. Robin snorted, then covered it up with her hand. Definitely not much sympathy from that one.

“I agree. He’s way more of an asshole than you are.”

“I am not even on the same level as he is! Don’t compare us!” Sure, Steve had been a bit of a jerk in his junior year, and well, all the years before that for that matter, but no way had he even been close to Billy Hargrove.

“Mmmhmm.” Robin laid on the counter, throwing the ice cream scoop up in the air and catching it.

“I mean I just don’t get what girls see in him, you know?”

“That sounds really difficult.” Robin blew a bubble in her gum, which made a loud pop. Suddenly it occurred to Steve. Robin was a girl. She might like Billy too! “You don’t see anything in him, do you?”

She looked alarmed. “No!”

Very convincing. “Are you sure?”

“He’s definitely not my type.”

“Okay, but if he was. What does he have that I don’t?”

“Think about what he wears to work.” Probably not much. No shirt, no stupid hat. “Now think about what you wear to work.”

“Dammit! If only my dipshit dad had let me work at the pool.”

Robin rolled her eyes. “I’ve heard this one before.” She started walking out of the room. So she wasn’t even going to let Steve finish?

“Hey, where are you going?”

“I’m clocking out. My shift is over. Looks like it’s just you and the ladies.”

“How will you keep track of my success then?”

“I guess I’ll just have to rely on the honor system. But honestly, Steve? I’m pretty sure I know exactly how it’ll go.”

“Don’t be too sure. Steve Harrington is full of surprises.” He winked at her.

“You’re talking in third person again!” she called as she left.

Steve sighed and began wiping down the counter. He was starting to like Robin. She was funny, and not in the cruel way that Tommy and Carol were. And honestly, her board made him feel better instead of worse, because it made the rejections like a joke they were both in on. It lessened the sting a little. He wondered why he had never noticed her before. Her face had been vaguely familiar before the job, sure, but he hadn’t even known her name.

The bell rang, once, then twice, then ten times. Steve groaned. Must be Erica. “Coming!” he called. He turned around to find himself face to face with Tommy, Carol hanging on his arm, just like always. And there, standing on Tommy’s other side, was none other than Billy Hargrove. He had almost forgotten that they were friends, and he couldn’t deny that it still stung a little. That used to be Steve standing there, and he’s glad it isn’t anymore, but Tommy and Carol were his best friends.

“You know, I heard you were working here, but I almost didn’t believe it. If anyone told me they used to call you the king of Hawkins High, I would’ve laughed my ass off. So tell me, Steve, how is it possible to fall so far?” Tommy’s brown eyes narrowed, spiteful, and Steve remembered that this was the way he used to look at kids in the lunchroom right before he shoved their tray into their face. And Steve just used to stand next to him and laugh like it was the funniest thing in the world.

Now it’s Carol that giggles, her adoring blue eyes staring up at Tommy. “And now you’re working minimum wage at some sad little ice cream shop,” he continued. “Practically begging for spare change.”

“Watch it,” Billy growled. He was working minimum wage this summer, too. And he didn’t look happy.

“Take it easy, big guy. Not talking about you.” Tommy clapped Billy on the shoulder. Billy gave him a look so withering that Tommy’s eyes widened and he raised his eyebrows at Steve, maybe out of habit, as if to say, can you believe this guy?

Steve barely stopped himself from giving a sympathetic look back. Instead, he pretended the whole exchange had never happened. “What can I get from you three?” A forced smile, dripping sarcasm and flashing white teeth.

“Carol and I will have a chocolate milkshake, two straws,” Tommy said.

Billy glared at them. “I’ll have the mint chip. “

It’s actually mint ship. Because of the sailing theme-”

“Yeah. I get it,” Billy said in a monotone. Tommy and Carol both laughed, rolling their eyes at Steve, and the three of them settled into a booth.

Steve couldn’t help but keep glancing back at them as he made the milkshake and scooped the ice cream. Tommy had his arm around Carol, and the two were laughing and talking, while Billy sat sullenly across from them. He smirked at the sight. When he set the ice cream on the counter, it was Billy that had to go up and get it. “How’s third wheeling going?” Steve asked smugly.

“I won’t be for long. Carol’s been staring at me whenever Tommy turns around. And I think she likes what she sees.”

“Just so you know, they’ve been dating for like five years. And they’ve broken up a few times, but they always get back together.”

“Is that so?” Billy still had that stupid smirk on his face.

Steve wasn’t sure why he said it, but with the blood roaring in his ears he couldn’t think straight. Steve lowered his voice. “They’ll always look down on you, you know. Living in that shithole-”

Suddenly Billy’s hands were gripping his shirt, and his breath was hot in his face. “I’ll fuck you up for that, Harrington.” Steve looked into his eyes and saw pure hatred, and he felt that same terror he had felt when Billy beat him up last year. Because he knew that Billy could kill him, and more importantly, he would. Then he was flying backward, crashing straight into the counters. He didn’t get up right away. He just lay there for a moment, staring up at the ceiling and wondering when Billy would follow through with his threat.


	3. Chapter 3

Steve was going to a party. And yes, maybe everyone from his graduating class was invited too. And yes, maybe he had found that out by asking one of Nancy’s old friends if she was invited. But he wasn’t going to let that get him down. He was going to be back in his element. He looked at himself in the mirror and smiled. No sailor costume could stop him now.

Steve got into his BMW and began driving. He knew every street of Hawkins by heart: every shortcut, every shop, every hidden path, and every crooked tree. It was a small town, but it had never seemed too small, at least not until now. Now his classmates were going off to college, spreading around the country in search of bigger and better things. He knew a few were staying, but he couldn’t shake the fear that one day everyone he knew would be gone, leaving him alone with only the memories of who he used to be.

He was thinking too much again. What was the use in dwelling on all of this? He couldn’t change the past, and he couldn’t control the future. He hadn’t gotten into college, and he didn’t have anything else to fall back on. That job his dad had waiting for him was his only option, no matter how much Steve hated to admit it.

A few more turns down the winding road, and Vicki’s house rose up in the distance. He parked on the street, took a deep breath, and walked inside. Tonight, he wasn’t going to think about college or Nancy or his dad. He wasn’t going to think about anything. The reek of cheap liquor flooded his senses, and it felt like Steve was a teenager again. Taking a gulp from a can of beer, Steve headed into the crowd. He almost flinched when he saw Billy stagger across the floor nearby, but he was too busy smirking at a girl clinging to him, and didn’t seem to even notice Steve. Don’t You (Forget About Me) came on the radio, and Steve scanned the room. He needed someone to dance with. Finishing off his beer, Steve crumpled the can and threw it into the trash can. He approached a blonde girl, one who had always been sitting in the front of the class or reading. Lily, he thought her name was. When he grinned at her, her eyes widened. “May I have this dance?” He held out his hand and gave a mock bow.

She looked toward her friend, who nodded encouragingly. She blushed and took Steve’s hand. So maybe he still had some of his charm. Sure, he wouldn’t have looked twice at her three years ago, but he wouldn’t want to be that person again. Even if it meant he got everything back.

_Slow change may pull us apart, When the light gets into your heart, baby_

Steve wondered when Nancy had fallen in love with Jonathan. Was it when they went to Chicago together? When Jonathan took her home after their fight? Or was it even sooner, when she and Jonathan had fought off those monsters together, when they had discovered the Upside Down and held the secret between them, just the two of them?

_As you walk on by, Will you call my name?_

After Steve had dropped off Dustin at the dance, he watched Nancy through the doorway. She was as beautiful as always, and she was smiling into the distance. Steve had waited there, wishing she would spot him through the doorway, and realize that she still loved him, and that she had made a mistake. That’s when he realized who she was smiling at, and that even when they were together, she had never seen him. Not really.

“You okay?” Lily asked.

“What? Of course, I’m fine.” He smiled at her, and a blush crept into her cheeks again.

“Good,” she whispered, smiling, but he saw right through her. Instead he saw Nancy again, the first time he had seen her in a dress, arms wrapped around her bare shoulders. Her hair was still long back then, and swept up. Steve had never seen anyone so beautiful, and he told her so, but she laughed at him, wouldn’t believe him. He couldn’t put it into words how she made the gym feel like a ballroom, and the tacky lights they had strung everywhere like stars. Maybe if he could have, she would be the one dancing with him tonight.

Someone shoves past Steve, and he ends up on the floor, still holding Lily’s hand. “What the hell was that?” he asked.

“I know you’re here, Hargrove. You have something of mine.” the man snarled. He was young, just a few years older than Steve. His head was closely shaved, and his rough-hewn features were contorted with rage, his dark eyes narrowed. He spun on Tommy, gripped him by the shirt. “Where is he?!”

Tommy didn’t hesitate. “Upstairs.”

The man broke into a run. Steve heard a crash, several grunts of pain, what sounded like a bone breaking. Lily gripped his hand tighter. Steve tried to stand up, to do what exactly, he didn’t know, but the man was already leaving, blood-drenched papers clenched in his fist. No matter how much he hated Billy, it didn’t seem right to leave him upstairs, hurt and alone. And Tommy and Carol certainly weren’t going to check on him. They were once again drinking beer and swaying on the dance floor.

“I think I’d better go up there,” Steve said.

“Okay. Be careful,” Lily replied.

Steve knew this was a bad idea. The way that Billy had threatened him should make him stay as far away as possible. Steve walked up the stairs, took a deep breath, and opened the door. Billy was hardly recognizable. His face was swollen and bloody, twisted in pain. He clutched his arms protectively around his ribcage. But when he spotted Steve, he gave a mocking grin full of dripping red teeth. “You gonna fight me again, Harrington? Even now I’m not sure you’ll win. But go ahead. You and I, we got shit between us, don’t we?”

Steve gritted his teeth. He couldn’t let Billy get to him. He tried to assume the voice he used with the kids, the one that invited no argument. “I’m not going to fight you. I’m going to give you a ride home, because there’s no way you’re driving home like that. Got it?”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah.” Steve held out his hand to Billy, but the other man shoved it away, instead stifling a groan as he shakily rose to his feet. He limped along behind Steve. The other partygoers watched Steve and Billy, shock all over their faces. Steve couldn’t blame them. He could hardly believe that Billy was actually following him. They climbed into the car, Billy with more difficulty than Steve, though he once again refused help. Steve cringed as blood dripped onto the leather seats, but he bit back a protest. This had been his idea, after all. And he needed to make it up to Billy after what he said, even if any sane person would say that Billy was still in the wrong for kicking Steve’s ass last year. He still felt like he should do this.

“So, where do you live?” Steve asked. He knew where Billy’s place was, for the most part, outside of town near the trailers, but he didn’t want to remind him of what Steve had said earlier.

“I can’t go home. Not like this.”

“Worried about getting in trouble with your old man?” Steve knew how that went. Too many times his dad had caught him out drinking instead of studying, had given him one of those long talks about responsibility and character and how Steve didn’t live up to the family name.

Billy began to laugh, a bitter, cold sound, then winced and clutched at his ribs again. “Something like that.”

“Think one of your ribs is broken?” Steve asked. He didn’t know much about that sort of injury, but it seemed like a good idea to go to the hospital.

“Happened plenty of times. No big deal. Don’t you worry your pretty head about it. ”

Steve gritted his teeth. Billy was just trying to rile him up, but Steve wouldn’t take the bait. “Anyone else you could stay with tonight?”

“Just drop me off on Main Street.”

No way was he doing that. He couldn’t just drop off a drunk, injured man on the street, even if the man in question was Billy Hargrove. “I’ll take you back to my place. You can sleep on the couch. My parents aren’t home, so that shouldn’t be a problem.”

Billy smirked. “No parents, hmm? You hoping to get lucky?”

Steve was getting sick of this. He was doing Billy a favor, being a nice guy, and Billy was implying that he was...that way. “Shut up. You know I didn’t mean it like that.” Billy was thankfully quiet the rest of the way home. The only sounds were that of the wind outside and Billy’s shallow, pained breaths. He smelled like liquor, but didn’t seem all that drunk. Finally, Steve pulled into his driveway. He held open the door as Billy limped through it, leaving red drops on the carpet. Steve’s parents wouldn’t be too happy about that, but it would fit right in with what they already thought of their son, causing fights and getting in trouble.

Steve gestured to the couch where Billy could stay the night, and Billy sat down on the edge of it. Should he give Billy a blanket? It was hard to imagine Billy sleeping under anything softer than leather and denim, so he decided against it. The night was warm, anyways. Steve was sure that Billy wouldn’t lie down until he left, so he switched off the light. He wanted to say something, good night maybe, but he knew that wouldn’t be taken well, so he went with a gruff, “I’ll drive you home in the morning.” As he lay under his covers, he couldn’t stop thinking about Billy in the other room. A small, awful part of him worried about something being stolen, but most of him just hoped that Billy would stay. He was a long way from home.


	4. Chapter 4

Steve was going to a party. And yes, maybe everyone from his graduating class was invited too. And yes, maybe he had found that out by asking one of Nancy’s old friends if she was invited. But he wasn’t going to let that get him down. He was going to be back in his element. He looked at himself in the mirror and smiled. No sailor costume could stop him now.

Steve got into his BMW and began driving. He knew every street of Hawkins by heart: every shortcut, every shop, every hidden path, and every crooked tree. It was a small town, but it had never seemed too small, at least not until now. Now his classmates were going off to college, spreading around the country in search of bigger and better things. He knew a few were staying, but he couldn’t shake the fear that one day everyone he knew would be gone, leaving him alone with only the memories of who he used to be.

He was thinking too much again. What was the use in dwelling on all of this? He couldn’t change the past, and he couldn’t control the future. He hadn’t gotten into college, and he didn’t have anything else to fall back on. That job his dad had waiting for him was his only option, no matter how much Steve hated to admit it.

A few more turns down the winding road, and Vicki’s house rose up in the distance. He parked on the street, took a deep breath, and walked inside. Tonight, he wasn’t going to think about college or Nancy or his dad. He wasn’t going to think about anything. The reek of cheap liquor flooded his senses, and it felt like Steve was a teenager again. Taking a gulp from a can of beer, Steve headed into the crowd. He almost flinched when he saw Billy stagger across the floor nearby, but he was too busy smirking at a girl clinging to him, and didn’t seem to even notice Steve. Don’t You (Forget About Me) came on the radio, and Steve scanned the room. He needed someone to dance with. Finishing off his beer, Steve crumpled the can and threw it into the trash can. He approached a blonde girl, one who had always been sitting in the front of the class or reading. Lily, he thought her name was. When he grinned at her, her eyes widened. “May I have this dance?” He held out his hand and gave a mock bow.

She looked toward her friend, who nodded encouragingly. She blushed and took Steve’s hand. So maybe he still had some of his charm. Sure, he wouldn’t have looked twice at her three years ago, but he wouldn’t want to be that person again. Even if it meant he got everything back.

_Slow change may pull us apart, When the light gets into your heart, baby_

Steve wondered when Nancy had fallen in love with Jonathan. Was it when they went to Chicago together? When Jonathan took her home after their fight? Or was it even sooner, when she and Jonathan had fought off those monsters together, when they had discovered the Upside Down and held the secret between them, just the two of them?

_As you walk on by, Will you call my name?_

After Steve had dropped off Dustin at the dance, he watched Nancy through the doorway. She was as beautiful as always, and she was smiling into the distance. Steve had waited there, wishing she would spot him through the doorway, and realize that she still loved him, and that she had made a mistake. That’s when he realized who she was smiling at, and that even when they were together, she had never seen him. Not really.

“You okay?” Lily asked.

“What? Of course, I’m fine.” He smiled at her, and a blush crept into her cheeks again.

“Good,” she whispered, smiling, but he saw right through her. Instead he saw Nancy again, the first time he had seen her in a dress, arms wrapped around her bare shoulders. Her hair was still long back then, and swept up. Steve had never seen anyone so beautiful, and he told her so, but she laughed at him, wouldn’t believe him. He couldn’t put it into words how she made the gym feel like a ballroom, and the tacky lights they had strung everywhere like stars. Maybe if he could have, she would be the one dancing with him tonight.

Someone shoves past Steve, and he ends up on the floor, still holding Lily’s hand. “What the hell was that?” he asked.

“I know you’re here, Hargrove. You have something of mine.” the man snarled. He was young, just a few years older than Steve. His head was closely shaved, and his rough-hewn features were contorted with rage, his dark eyes narrowed. He spun on Tommy, gripped him by the shirt. “Where is he?!”

Tommy didn’t hesitate. “Upstairs.”

The man broke into a run. Steve heard a crash, several grunts of pain, what sounded like a bone breaking. Lily gripped his hand tighter. Steve tried to stand up, to do what exactly, he didn’t know, but the man was already leaving, blood-drenched papers clenched in his fist. No matter how much he hated Billy, it didn’t seem right to leave him upstairs, hurt and alone. And Tommy and Carol certainly weren’t going to check on him. They were once again drinking beer and swaying on the dance floor.

“I think I’d better go up there,” Steve said.

“Okay. Be careful,” Lily replied.

Steve knew this was a bad idea. The way that Billy had threatened him should make him stay as far away as possible. Steve walked up the stairs, took a deep breath, and opened the door. Billy was hardly recognizable. His face was swollen and bloody, twisted in pain. He clutched his arms protectively around his ribcage. But when he spotted Steve, he gave a mocking grin full of dripping red teeth. “You gonna fight me again, Harrington? Even now I’m not sure you’ll win. But go ahead. You and I, we got shit between us, don’t we?”

Steve gritted his teeth. He couldn’t let Billy get to him. He tried to assume the voice he used with the kids, the one that invited no argument. “I’m not going to fight you. I’m going to give you a ride home, because there’s no way you’re driving home like that. Got it?”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah.” Steve held out his hand to Billy, but the other man shoved it away, instead stifling a groan as he shakily rose to his feet. He limped along behind Steve. The other partygoers watched Steve and Billy, shock all over their faces. Steve couldn’t blame them. He could hardly believe that Billy was actually following him. They climbed into the car, Billy with more difficulty than Steve, though he once again refused help. Steve cringed as blood dripped onto the leather seats, but he bit back a protest. This had been his idea, after all. And he needed to make it up to Billy after what he said, even if any sane person would say that Billy was still in the wrong for kicking Steve’s ass last year. He still felt like he should do this.

“So, where do you live?” Steve asked. He knew where Billy’s place was, for the most part, outside of town near the trailers, but he didn’t want to remind him of what Steve had said earlier.

“I can’t go home. Not like this.”

“Worried about getting in trouble with your old man?” Steve knew how that went. Too many times his dad had caught him out drinking instead of studying, had given him one of those long talks about responsibility and character and how Steve didn’t live up to the family name.

Billy began to laugh, a bitter, cold sound, then winced and clutched at his ribs again. “Something like that.”

“Think one of your ribs is broken?” Steve asked. He didn’t know much about that sort of injury, but it seemed like a good idea to go to the hospital.

“Happened plenty of times. No big deal. Don’t you worry your pretty head about it. ”

Steve gritted his teeth. Billy was just trying to rile him up, but Steve wouldn’t take the bait. “Anyone else you could stay with tonight?”

“Just drop me off on Main Street.”

No way was he doing that. He couldn’t just drop off a drunk, injured man on the street, even if the man in question was Billy Hargrove. “I’ll take you back to my place. You can sleep on the couch. My parents aren’t home, so that shouldn’t be a problem.”

Billy smirked. “No parents, hmm? You hoping to get lucky?”

Steve was getting sick of this. He was doing Billy a favor, being a nice guy, and Billy was implying that he was...that way. “Shut up. You know I didn’t mean it like that.” Billy was thankfully quiet the rest of the way home. The only sounds were that of the wind outside and Billy’s shallow, pained breaths. He smelled like liquor, but didn’t seem all that drunk. Finally, Steve pulled into his driveway. He held open the door as Billy limped through it, leaving red drops on the carpet. Steve’s parents wouldn’t be too happy about that, but it would fit right in with what they already thought of their son, causing fights and getting in trouble.

Steve gestured to the couch where Billy could stay the night, and Billy sat down on the edge of it. Should he give Billy a blanket? It was hard to imagine Billy sleeping under anything softer than leather and denim, so he decided against it. The night was warm, anyways. Steve was sure that Billy wouldn’t lie down until he left, so he switched off the light. He wanted to say something, good night maybe, but he knew that wouldn’t be taken well, so he went with a gruff, “I’ll drive you home in the morning.” As he lay under his covers, he couldn’t stop thinking about Billy in the other room. A small, awful part of him worried about something being stolen, but the larger part of him just hoped that Billy would stay. He was a long way from home.


	5. Chapter 5

It was about a week later that Billy next strutted into Scoop’s Ahoy, this time alone. He seemed to be avoiding Steve after what happened, and honestly, Steve couldn’t blame him. Of course he wouldn’t want anyone to know that he was too hurt to get home that night. Steve remembered that game: never show weakness if you want to stay on top. Billy showed no sign of any discomfort, smirking as he leaned on the counter.

“Hey, Harrington. Robin.”

Wait, what? “You two know each other?” Steve blurted out.

“We were lab partners in AP Chemistry,” Robin explained.

Billy Hargrove in AP Chemistry? It was pretty hard to imagine. Steve had always thought of Hargrove as the classic school bully, strong and vicious but stupid. Beyond that, Billy seemed like he didn’t care enough to bother much with school. Steve tried to mask his surprise. “Right, AP Chemistry. I was going to take that, but, you know, scheduling conflict,” Steve rambled. Robin and Billy gave him unimpressed looks. “So, what are you doing here Hargrove? Miss me?”

“My old man wanted me to take Max to the mall. Her and her new friend-El, something like that?”

“Oh, yeah, I know her.”

“Really strange. Was talking about running away from a bad man.”

Shit. “She, um, has some issues, sometimes get things mixed up.”

Billy gave Steve a look that told him he wasn’t falling for it, but took out his wallet and ordered a chocolate sundae. As Steve scooped the ice cream, he couldn’t help but notice how close Billy’s chest, exposed by a shirt with almost all of the buttons undone, was to the ice cream. That had to be some kind of cleanliness violation.

Robin had gone into the back room when Billy leaned over the counter and growled, “I know there’s something in this shitty little town you all are hiding, and I will find it out.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Of course you don’t,” Billy took his sundae, and walked over to the exit, where Eleven and Max were waiting. They were about 20 feet from Steve, close enough for him to hear every word they were saying. “El, right? What is that short for?” He gave one of those sugary smiles Steve had seen a few times before, always whenever Billy was trying to get what he wanted.

“Eleven,” said Eleven, at the same moment that Max said, “Eleanor.”

“Eleven, hmm? That’s a very interesting name. Your parents must not have liked you very much.”

“Eleven’s parents like unique names,” Max said quickly.

“Of course they do,” Billy replied, sending Steve a sly expression as they walked off. Steve would have to let the others know that Billy was onto them.

* * *

“I don’t think we have much to worry about,” said Nancy. She was sitting next to Jonathan on a park bench while Steve sat on the grass nearby. “I mean, he isn’t the brightest.”

Even though Steve knew she wasn’t talking about him, he still felt the sting of when she had read his shitty college essay. She hid it well, but he could still see the pity behind her eyes. Maybe that’s why his voice had a hint of indignance in it when he said, “Maybe he’s smarter than we think. Apparently he was in AP Chemistry with Robin.”

“Robin?”

“My new coworker. Anyways, I was just thinking we should make sure to be more careful. Sure, Billy might not figure it out, but one of our parents could, or someone else who couldn’t handle it as well as we do.”

“You’re right. Pretty sure a few other people are getting suspicious,” Jonathan said. Steve couldn’t bring himself to give him a grateful smile. Blades of grass poked at his leg, and he scratched it. It was suddenly very quiet.

“We’d better be going. We’re having dinner with my parents. Thanks for letting us know, Steve,” Nancy said.

“No problem.” They didn’t walk with their arms around each other like those obnoxious high school couples, but you could tell just by watching them that they were together from the way their shoulders brushed and how they looked at each other while the other couldn’t see. A cold hollowness welled up within Steve and spread through him. He waited until after the two had driven away to get into his own car. He went straight home.

When he saw the glowing yellow windows at his house, he considered turning around. Of all of the days his parents had to be home, why had they chosen today?

“You’re home late,” Steve’s dad snapped as soon as he walked in. “I thought your shift ended at four.”

“I had to talk to Nancy and Jonathan about-” Steve floundered for a moment. “School. They had some questions about senior year.”

“Don’t lie to me. I know you’re the last one anyone would ask about school. You need to stop hanging around that girl and move on.”

“You’re being hard on him, Micheal,” Steve’s mom pleaded.

“He needs to know what it’s like to live in the real world.”

“Right, dad. The real world. Is this where you tell your story about how you had it so hard, how you had to learn how to make your own way and you made yourself a successful businessman.”

“Do you have any respect?! I don’t know what your mother and I did wrong, raising such an ungrateful-”

But Steve was already leaving, stomping up towards his room like he was still a teenager. He sure as hell still felt like one. After he slammed the door behind him, all of the energy and anger that had risen within him dissipated, and he laid down on his bed, just staring at the white ceiling with a tiny crack on the left side. The muffled voices of his parents drifted into the room, but Steve didn’t care to press his ear against the door so that he could make out what they were saying the way he had when he was younger. He used to take comfort in the fact that his mom was on his side, but what did it matter if she never stood up for him?

He waited until the light beneath his doorway winked out and the noise faded. Cool blue light from the window fell onto his bed, and the moon shone through the curtains. He walked over to it and pushed it open. The air was cool as it blew through his hair. Pushing himself through the window, he clambered onto the roof. How many nights had he sat out here after Nancy had broken up with him, having a smoke and wondering why this had happened to him. But he didn’t want to do that tonight. He needed to get farther away. He hopped down onto the balcony before dropping down into the grass. His ankle throbbed. A sprain? _See. Ninja._

He fumbled around in the pocket of his jeans, his fingers closing around his car keys. He started the car numbly and turned out of his driveway with no destination in mind. He just drove.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! I've been super busy with school and college applications but writing this chapter has helped me get some inspiration back so hopefully I'll be posting more often. I know Billy isn't in this chapter much but I thought I should show Steve's parents a little more. Don't worry, there'll be much more of him in the next chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

Steve woke up to a crashing noise. He sat straight up and ran into the living room, heart pounding. Billy stood hunched over next to an overturned book case, clutching his ribs again. “I was just trying to leave but then my ribs hurt again, so I put my arm out just to rest for a second, and then-” Billy gestured to the fallen bookcase. “I’ll pick it up, I promise.”

“No,” Steve mumbled. Billy took a step back. He looked almost...afraid. But that couldn’t be. Billy wasn’t afraid of anything, least of all Steve. “You’re hurt, I’ll clean it up."

“I wasn’t going to take anything-”

“I didn’t think you were,” Steve lied. “I’ll clean it up, okay?”

Billy retreated to the couch. He was poised on the very edge of it, his eyes never leaving Steve. With a grunt, Steve lifted the bookcase and shoved the heap of books on the floor back onto the shelves, not caring that they were out of order. He was way too tired for this. “Go back to bed, and stay there this time,” he muttered. He stumbled back to his room and crawled under the covers.

When he woke up again, Billy was in the bathroom, scrubbing at the blood on his face with a washcloth. He jumped when Steve walked in, but recovered quickly. “You slept in,” he commented.

“Maybe that’s because you woke me up in the middle of the night,” Steve snapped, switching on the coffee pot. Billy soon joined him in the kitchen. Though Steve look carefully, there was no trace of the Billy he found in the living room last night. Maybe the fear he saw in the other’s eyes was only his imagination, an attempt to convince himself that Billy even had feelings at all. Either way, he wasn’t going to bring it up. “Coffee?” he offered.

“Why not?” Billy grinned, helping himself. “Got any booze to go with it?”

Steve rolled his eyes, refusing to even respond to that. It couldn’t have been later than 8 in the morning. But this was Billy Hargrove, after all. He was probably never sober. They sat on separate couches as they sipped from their mugs. The image of Billy drinking coffee was foreign to Steve, but it didn’t surprise him in the least that he took it black. “So uh, threat’s off, right?”

“Threat?” Billy asked, then his eyes lit up in gleeful recognition. “Oh, right. You scared, Harrington?”

“Scared? No way. But you definitely owe me one.”

“No. I’d say we’re not quite even yet.”

“You’ve got to be joking.” Steve glanced over at Billy, but he was impossible to read, his face filled with a mocking smile. “Come on, let’s go. Do you think your parents will be up yet?”

Billy opened his mouth as if to protest, then simply nodded. Wait-were they his parents? He knew that Billy and Max were step-siblings, so… It was too early for this. He’d ask Max some other time. Steve pulled out of the driveway and began heading towards Billy’s house.

“Can you drive any faster? I want to work out before my shift at the pool,” Billy complained, taking a long drag from a cigarette between his fingers.

“Not all of us are trying to run someone over,” Steve replied. Dustin had said something about the party-as they called themselves-being almost hit by Billy once, and Steve highly doubts it was an accident. Billy only scowled in response. They began driving farther into the woods, where the houses shrunk and the street became bumpy and worn. Steve and his friends rarely went this way. His mom used to say it was dangerous.

At last Billy announced that they were at his house. It was small and white with a browning lawn. Overgrown flowers grew in a crooked line on either side of the door, and trees pressed on the house from every side, as if the forest was preparing to swallow it whole. Steve followed Billy down the crumbling path and into a cramped kitchen. A woman with messy auburn hair was sweeping up glass in the living room. She looked up and gave a strained smile. “Billy, I was wondering where you were last night!” She turned to Steve. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting company.” Her voice was breathless and almost frantic, and Steve gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Billy headed towards a hallway which must have led to his room, but the woman called him back. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?”

“We’re not friends,” Billy snapped, then sighed. “Susan, Steve. Steve, Susan.”

Steve gave an awkward wave. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Hargrove.”

“Please, just call me Susan. Everyone does. Would you like to stay for breakfast? I could make anything you-"

Billy cut her off. “Steve can’t stay. He has work.”

“Oh, where do you work?”

“ Scoops Ahoy, at Starcourt Mall.”

“How nice,” Susan smiled in an absent-minded sort of way. “Maxine!” she called.

“Coming, mom!” She sounded a little angry, like she always did. When she stepped into the kitchen, her eyes widened. “Steve?”

“I didn’t realize you two had met,” Susan said, and Steve remembered that he technically wasn’t supposed to know Max, or any of the party, really. It was so strange that they had all saved the world and nobody knew.

“We met at the mall. I’ve gone to get ice cream a few times.” Max lied casually, as if she did it all the time.

“Well, I won’t keep you. Very nice meeting you, Steve, and thank you for bringing Billy home.” Steve smiled back at Susan before heading out the door.

Before he could get very far, though, Max whispered, “Steve! What are you doing here?”

Steve played dumb, which almost always worked for him because that was people’s assumption anyways. “Taking Billy home.”

Max didn’t buy it, though. “You know what I mean! He almost killed you last year.”

“Look, he was at a party, and some guy I don’t know beat him up, and he was already wasted.”

“So? Why would that be your problem?” Steve sighed. If Max was nothing else, she was direct. “I said some stupid shit to him, and I felt bad about it. So I wanted to do him a favor so I wouldn’t feel guilty anymore.”

Max, if possible, looked even less convinced than before. “Guilty? Did I mention that he almost killed you last year?”

Everything Max was saying made sense. It was impossible to explain why Steve had felt the urge to help Billy in the first place, but for some reason, he had. “That’s why I did it, okay? I don’t really understand it either.”

Max shakes her head. “Alright. As long as he isn’t blackmailing you or something.”

“He’s not,” Steve reassured, and waited until Max had finally disappeared behind the peeling door to get into his car and drive away, to go get something from the diner. He was starving.

* * *

“You brought Billy Hargrove home from a party? As in, the same one who kicked your ass last year.” Dustin had demanded that Steve speak to him immediately, and was now sitting across from him in a booth.

“Who told you?”

“So it’s true then.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You basically just did,” Dustin retorted.

Steve sighed. This kid was too smart for him. “Max told me. And she told me that you dropped Billy off in the morning. What is wrong with you?” 

“Look, it’s not like that. He was hurt, bleeding, broken bones too I think. Some guy walked into the party I was in and totally kicked his ass. I offered to bring him home, but he said he couldn’t go home yet, so I let him sleep on my couch.”

Dustin gaped at Steve. “You let him sleep in your house?!” The only customers that were there, a boy and his mom, stared at the two of them, and Steve lowered his head, wishing Dustin could be a little more subtle for once.

“That’s what I said, isn’t it? Keep your voice down.”

“Are you crazy? He could have killed you,” Dustin hissed.

“Well, he didn’t,” Steve said.

“Why even help him after everything he’s done to you?”

“Look, I said something really shitty to him, and I don’t want to tell you because you’re not going to look at me the same way.”

“I know you used to be a douchebag, Steve. You can tell me.”

“Fine. I-” Steve tried to find a way to soften it, to make him seem like less of an asshole, but it was impossible. “Imadefunofhimaboutbeingpoor.”

“Shit, that is pretty bad.”

“I told you it was bad. I’m still kind of a douchebag, aren’t I?” Steve was surprised to feel genuine worry. This could be it. He could lose this kid he would never have looked twice at, but now considered one of his best friends.

“You did the right thing, then, bringing him home. Even if it was possibly overkill, and definitely stupid. And you’re not still a douchebag. You’re the only one who’s really hung out with me since I got back from camp.”

“Still?”

“Yep, Mike and El are pretty much constantly making out. Obviously, if Suzie was here, it wouldn’t be so bad, but she lives super far away.”

Right. Suzie. Steve had to admit that Dustin was not good with the ladies at all, and certainly not good enough to get a girlfriend that perfect. He just nodded along, though. Who was he to call Dustin out on it?

“Look, I have to go, I promised I’d go shopping with my mom. See you. And good luck with Robin.”

“Thanks, man.” Steve waved goodbye to Dustin. He knew Dustin would understand. He wished he could tell Dustin about the look in Billy’s eyes when Steve caught him trying to leave, the scared little boy he saw just for a moment, but even if he and Billy weren’t friends, saying something would feel like a betrayal. Maybe there was more to Billy than the heartless asshole he was on the surface, but Steve would let Billy keep that a secret if he wanted to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the support on my story so far! I'll be going back to school tomorrow, so updates won't be as frequent, but I'll be writing whenever I have time.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the long wait! I was really frustrated that the correct number of chapters weren't showing up, and I finally realized I never posted Chapter 4, so things should make much more sense now. Now that I have my college applications in I should have more time to write so expect more frequent updates!

“I don’t think we have much to worry about,” said Nancy. She was sitting next to Jonathan on a park bench while Steve sat on the grass nearby. “I mean, he isn’t the brightest.” 

Even though Steve knew she wasn’t talking about him, he still felt the sting of when she had read his shitty college essay. She hid it well, but he could still see the pity behind her eyes. Maybe that’s why his voice had a hint of indignance in it when he said, “Maybe he’s smarter than we think. Apparently he was in AP Chemistry with Robin.”

“Robin?”

“My new coworker. Anyways, I was just thinking we should make sure to be more careful. Sure, Billy might not figure it out, but one of our parents could, or someone else who couldn’t handle it as well as we do.”

“You’re right. Pretty sure a few other people are getting suspicious,” Jonathan said. Steve couldn’t bring himself to give him a grateful smile. Blades of grass poked at his leg, and he scratched it. It was suddenly very quiet. 

“We’d better be going. We’re having dinner with my parents. Thanks for letting us know, Steve,” Nancy said. 

“No problem.” They didn’t walk with their arms around each other like those obnoxious high school couples, but you could tell just by watching them that they were together from the way their shoulders brushed and how they looked at each other while the other couldn’t see. A cold hollowness welled up within Steve and spread through him. He waited until after the two had driven away to get into his own car. He went straight home. 

When he saw the glowing yellow windows at his house, he considered turning around. Of all of the days his parents had to be home, why had they chosen today?

“You’re home late,” Steve’s dad snapped as soon as he walked in. “I thought your shift ended at four.”

“I had to talk to Nancy and Jonathan about-” Steve floundered for a moment. “School. They had some questions about senior year.” 

“Don’t lie to me. I know you’re the last one anyone would ask about school. You need to stop hanging around that girl and move on.”

“You’re being hard on him, Micheal,” Steve’s mom pleaded. 

“He needs to know what it’s like to live in the real world.”

“Right, dad. The real world. Is this where you tell your story about how you had it so hard, how you had to learn how to make your own way and you made yourself a successful businessman.”

“Do you have any respect?! I don’t know what your mother and I did wrong, raising such an ungrateful-”

But Steve was already leaving, stomping up towards his room like he was still a teenager. He sure as hell still felt like one. After he slammed the door behind him, all of the energy and anger that had risen within him dissipated, and he laid down on his bed, just staring at the white ceiling with a tiny crack on the left side. The muffled voices of his parents drifted into the room, but Steve didn’t care to press his ear against the door so that he could make out what they were saying the way he had when he was younger. He used to take comfort in the fact that his mom was on his side, but what did it matter if she never stood up for him? 

He waited until the light beneath his doorway winked out and the noise faded. Cool blue light from the window fell onto his bed, and the moon shone through the curtains. He walked over to it and pushed it open. The air was cool as it blew through his hair. Pushing himself through the window, he clambered onto the roof. How many nights had he sat out here after Nancy had broken up with him, having a smoke and wondering why this had happened to him. But he didn’t want to do that tonight. He needed to get farther away. He hopped down onto the balcony before dropping down into the grass. His ankle throbbed. A sprain?  _ See. Ninja. _

He fumbled around in the pocket of his jeans, his fingers closing around his car keys. He started the car numbly and turned out of his driveway with no destination in mind. He just drove. 


End file.
